This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7xc2xa7119 and/or 365 to Patent Application Ser. No. 0002407-5 filed in Sweden on Jun. 27, 2000, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a positional adjusting mechanism for a cutting insert in a tool for chip removing machining, preferably a milling cutter, which positional adjusting mechanism comprises a first hole recessed in the tool body in connection with a cutting seat for the cutting insert, a slotted bushing mounted in said hole as well as an adjusting screw received in said bushing. The invention also relates to a tool, which is provided with a positional adjusting mechanism according to the present invention.
2. Prior Art
An adjustable stop for a cutting insert is previously known from International Publication WO 98/43766, said stop comprising a slotted stop body in the upper part thereof, which is provided with a laterally protruding tongue, the free end of which constitutes a stop face. The adjustable stop furthermore comprises a bushing mounted inside the stop body, which has an internal thread intended to cooperate with an adjusting screw that is threaded in the bushing, and the head of which cooperates with the upper slotted part of the stop body, whereby a lateral displacement is provided by the stop face on the laterally protruding tongue, said stop face affecting the cutting insert and causing adjustment of the position thereof. Thus, this known stop comprises at least three separate components. Furthermore, the slotted stop body is unsymmetrical, which means that it has to be mounted by means of a separate clamping part. An additional disadvantage is that there is a play between the stop body and the bushing, which is of disadvantage with respect to the precision of the system.
A machine reamer which has a positional adjusting mechanism for a cutting insert is previously known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,023. In that patent, a slotted bushing is received in a tool body, there being play between said bushing and said tool body. This is disadvantageous to the precision of the system. The bushing is secured in a hole in the tool body by means of press-fit, which means that said bushing is only locked against rotation by the friction between the bushing and the hole. Nor is the bushing secured against axial movement that may be caused by high centrifugal forces in connection with high rotational speeds.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a positional adjusting mechanism of the kind defined in the introduction, which can adjust the position of the cutting insert with exceptionally high precision.
Another aim of the present invention is that the positional adjusting mechanism should comprise as few components as possible as well as in other respects be structurally simple.
Yet a further aim of the present invention is that: (i) the components included in the positional adjusting mechanism should be anchored in relation to forces acting on the tool, and (ii) the tool should be balanced irrespective of the adjustment of the positional adjusting mechanism.
An additional aim of the present invention is that the positional adjusting mechanism should be well defined, i.e., rigid, in order to obtain maximum repetitive accuracy when installing the cutting inserts included in the tool.
At least the primary the aim of the present invention is realized by means of a positional adjusting mechanism in which a bushing is stabilized against its mounting hole upon being installed.